–Labour Minister tells Guyanese, as massive job fair, open day gets underway at UG

UNDER the theme, “Explore, Connect, Evolve”, the University of Guyana (UG) on Friday held a short opening ceremony for its two-day annual Open Day and Job Fair at the Turkeyen Campus.

During the ceremonial opening, it was noted that UG is on the path to becoming a world-class tertiary institution, ensuring its students are ready to take advantage of the opportunities ahead as Guyana experiences exponential economic and infrastructural growth.

Starting three years ago, the job fair aspect of the event was begun to bring employers into direct contact with students. During this time, it was reported that the Open Day and Job Fair has positively impacted not only the students, but the university at large.

The University of Guyana, as the premier tertiary institution in Guyana, plays a critical role in shaping the mindset of tomorrow’s workforce.

Over the past 60 years, UG has played an integral role in upskilling the future of our country through its engaging courses and programmes.

UG has also been able to equip Guyanese, regional and international students with critical-thinking skills, exposure, and other traits to thrive in today’s world.

By collaborating with public and private sector companies, UG is allowing its students to explore and engage with these partners for job and learning opportunities.

Some 30 public and private sector agencies are present at this year’s event supporting UG’s efforts. There are also approximately 90 exhibits from various faculties.

Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton, in his remarks alluded to the fact that the companies present at the event would not have been involved a few years ago. This, he said, highlights Guyana’s rapidly changing labour landscape.

Minister Hamilton encouraged students to pay attention to the needs of our rapidly developing country. He related that we need to plan in such a way that all Guyanese can participate in education development.

According to the minister, national development goes far beyond Georgetown. He emphasised that it should include citizens in every administrative region to ensure that the goal of national development is accomplished.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Deputy Chief Education Officer (Technical) Dr. Ritesh Tularam said the ministry is continuously engaged in networking, collaboration, and partnerships to realise strategic goals.

He remarked that the open day is more than an opportunity to see what UG has to offer its students; it is an opportunity for networking, information sharing, internship, and job exploration.

Underscoring the growth of UG, it was mentioned that over the past years, the number of students from outlying regions has increased.

For Region One (Barima-Waini), the institution has seen a student growth of 35.8 per cent, for Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the increased growth rate stands at 25.1 per cent, and for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), it’s at 5.8 per cent. Additionally, for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), the number of students has increased by 17.7 per cent over the last year, while Regions Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) have seen an increase of 5.4 and 10.9 per cent, respectively. These increases highlight UG’s widespread reach over the years.

While the institution was started as a national tertiary institution to meet the needs of Guyana’s developmental thrust, the quality of education delivered has impacted some 34 countries around the world.

At present, there are students from Nigeria (representing the largest increase in the student population), Belize, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Antigua, Grenada, Romania, the Russian Federation, China, Canada and several other countries.